Frederick's Child Magazine
With the holidays comes a season of giving–whether its gift-giving among family members and friends or charitable giving to spread joy in the community. In that spirit, encourage young readers to think about all the ways they can give with these books available at Frederick County Public Libraries about expressing love, offering a helping hand or coming together as one.
Baby and Toddler Books
Call your local library to request board books for in-library or curbside pickup.
“Kindness Makes Us Strong” by Sophie Beer
This board book encourages celebrating kindness within your community. Each page defines kindness in a different way with bold and inclusive images that your little one will love.
“I Need a Hug” by Aaron Blabey
The main character in this book is a cute prickly porcupine. Follow him on his journey to find someone who will cuddle with him. A sweet ending to this story will warm your heart.
Picture Books
“What is Given from the Heart” by Pat McKissack
With her extraordinary gift for storytelling, Coretta Scott King Award winner Pat McKissack delivers a touching, powerful tale of compassion and reminds us all that what is given from the heart, reaches the heart.
“Strega Nona’s Harvest” by Tomie Depaola
Strega Nona is back in a colorful picture book, perfect for fall and the changing seasons. Anthony’s garden produces a bountiful harvest. This book is a great lesson in sharing one’s blessings with others.
Early Reader Books
“Toy Store Trouble” by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Living in a tiny house, Twig and Turtle can only keep five toys each. When a new toy store opens in town, they must give up a toy they love for a new one. When the girls discover the new toy store owner has old-fashioned ideas on who should play with what, changing her mind becomes the biggest problem of all!
“The Greatest Gift” by Kallie George
Newly independent readers will love the Heartwood Hotel series. In this second book of the series, Mona The Mouse anticipates a peaceful winter after the festive St. Slumber celebration, but instead, winter brings a difficult guest, food shortages caused by a huge blizzard and secrets.
Middle Grade Books
“When the World Turned Upside Down” by K. Ibura
In this heartwarming story, three students discover their apartment building is full of people who need help. By working together, they find that there is power in numbers to ease each other’s challenges and help their neighbors. “When the World Turns Upside Down” is about community, generosity and the power of youth.
“Pay it Forward: Young Readers Edition” by Catherine Ryan Hyde
In this uplifting novel, 12-year-old Trevor accepts his teacher’s challenge to come up with a plan to change the world. Trevor’s idea is to do a good deed for three people and ask them to “pay it forward” to three others who need help. “Pay it Forward” is the middle-grade edition of the bestselling book that inspired the Pay It Forward movement.
Teen Books
“Faith: Taking Flight” by Julie Murphy
Faith Herbert is a pretty regular teen. When she’s not hanging out with her two best friends, Matt and Ches, she’s volunteering at the local animal shelter or obsessing over the long-running teen drama The Grove. Her fandom-fueled daydreams aren’t enough to distract Faith from the fact that first animals, then people, have begun to vanish from the town. Only Faith seems able to connect the dots to a new designer drug infiltrating her high school. But when her investigation puts the people she loves in danger, she will have to confront her hidden past and use her newfound gifts—risking everything to save her friends and beloved town.
“The Seventh Most Important Thing” by Shelley Pearsall
Arthur T. Owens grabbed a brick and hurled it at the trash picker. Arthur had his reasons, and the brick hit the Junk
Man in the arm, not the head. But none of that matters to the judge—he is ready to send Arthur to juvie forever. Amazingly, it’s the Junk Man himself who offers an alternative: 120 hours of community service… working for him. Arthur is given a rickety shopping cart and a list of the seven most important things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans and mirrors. He can’t believe it—is he really supposed to rummage through people’s trash? But it isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something more precious than anyone could imagine.
